The deputy head of the BBC's newsroom, Kevin Bakhurst, is leaving the corporation to join the Irish broadcaster RTÉ.

Bakhurst will take over as RTÉ managing director of news and current affairs in early September, in what the BBC's director of news Helen Boaden described as a "huge loss" to the corporation.

Bakhurst has been deputy head of the BBC newsroom since 2010, overseeing the broadcaster's TV News, radio news and the BBC News website. He has been controller of the BBC News channel since December 2005.

Boaden said in a statement: "Kevin's departure will be a huge loss to BBC News. His professionalism, his excellent judgment and his enthusiasm will be missed by all who've had the privilege of working with him.

"Under Kevin's leadership the news channel has gone from strength to strength, cementing its reputation at the heart of the BBC's television news. While I am sad to see him go, he has an exciting challenge ahead and all his colleagues will wish him well for the future."

Bakhurst is also a member of the BBC's London 2012 Olympics management team and on the BBC director general's leadership group.

His departure comes a week after George Entwistle, the director of BBC Vision, was appointed as director general. Boaden was one of the unsuccessful applicants to replace Mark Thompson, who formally leaves the corporation at the end of September.

Bakhurst said: "It's an amazing opportunity to lead such a formidable team at RTÉ news and current affairs who rightly have a national and worldwide reputation for their journalism. This is one of the very few jobs that I would have considered leaving BBC News to do.

"I have had a tremendous time at BBC News and would like to thank my colleagues and teams there – in particular on the BBC News Channel – for their terrific work, commitment and support."

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